Jaime MacDougall knows exactly what kind of man she wants her daughter to marry. He should be charming, handsome, polite, intelligent, a blood-drinker … well, maybe not that last part. MacDougall, 30, lives in Stoughton, and models this ideal man after vampire Edward Cullen, the lead character in the “Twilight” book series by Stephenie Meyer, which last year was translated to the big screen with the first of four possible films.

“I was totally dead-set against reading the books,” MacDougall said, “but then I couldn’t stop. It was addicting.”

She is not alone. Written originally as a young adult novel, “Twilight” and its three sequels have fast exceeded the generation gap, and women (and more than a few men) of all ages have become devoted fans. Called “twi-moms,” these women find the teen-romance vampire series irresistible. There’s even a Web site, www.twimoms.com, devoted to adult women and mothers who are fans.

Erin Sweeney sees the relationship between Edward Cullen and his true love in the series, Bella Swan, as something personally meaningful in her life.

“I remember all those feelings of first love, and I can relate,” she said. “I married my first boyfriend, and now I’m saving the books for my daughter to read.” Saccone, 36, is a teacher’s aide in Hanson, where she also lives. She saw all the teenagers at her school reading “Twilight,” and asked for a copy for Christmas last year. Immediately, she was hooked.

“I’m not a reader, because I don’t have the time, but during that 10-day break, I read all four of the books (in the series). My children and husband all know I’m obsessed, and that’s putting in mildly,” she said.

Sweeney is also a fan of the first movie, and plans on seeing the second film, “New Moon,” when it is released on Nov. 20.

“It’s definitely an obsession, and you go through withdrawals when it’s over,” said Sweeney, who searched to find Meyer’s unfinished manuscript of “Twilight” written from Edward’s perspective online after finishing the four novels.

“I used to keep my window open at night, hoping Edward would come in. Now, I’ve been able to move on with my life,” she said, joking.

Stefanie Abati, 29, from East Bridgewater, said the book reminded her of days she had growing up, and was hooked within the first few chapters.

“It brought you back to high school, your first love, the first butterflies feeling you get when you see that first guy you had a crush on. It made me laugh,” she said.

Abati’s love is something she can’t explain, because she’s petrified of vampires, but is a self-proclaimed “Twilight” fanatic.

Page 2 of 3 - She said her fiancé thinks she is crazy, but will faithfully standby as she spends hours trying to win a clock at a fair with the face of her favorite character, teenager-turned-werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner in the films).

MacDougall made her own “Team Edward” T-shirt, and buys the new memorabilia for the movie as it comes out, such as the board game, Twilight candy, and of course, the DVD of the film so she could watch it repeatedly.

Abati has the clock she worked so hard to win, as well as the board game and other “Twilight” memorabilia that she knows was probably designed for an 11-year old.

“I don’t know what it is, but I do like that people of all ages can read and enjoy the same books,” Abati said.

Maybe more so than with teenagers, these women have been passing the books on to their friends and encouraging them to give “Twilight” a try. MacDougall and Abati got hooked after their boss told them about the series, and they’re telling friends and family about it as well.

Author Richelle Mead is one of the people benefiting from this new vampire craze that’s taken the world’s readership by storm. With the release of the fourth novel in her “Vampire Academy” series in August, Mead has seen her career take off in a way that surprised and delighted her.

She said there are two parts to why vampires have become so popular – literature and movies and television.

“Reading is an escape and if you start adding in any fantastic or paranormal element, it’s a way to leave reality, and then if you start adding vampires with their dangerous, sexy nature, you can take that up to a whole new level,” Mead said.

Many fans agree that the forbidden romance between vampires and humans is part of the appeal of both Meyer and Mead’s work.

From the author’s perspective, having both young and adult fans is a positive thing. On her recent book tour, Mead said the younger fans were usually more enthusiastic.

“Teens are at an age where they feel things a lot more strongly. It comes through to me in e-mails and at the signings.”

Mead was a teacher, and started writing adult novels first, and then switched to the young adult genre. She said she thinks this is also a large reason for having fans of all ages read her book, because she brought some with her from her early days of writing.

“Some people seem to think they’re a rivalry between vampire authors, but it’s not true. Everyone is supporting each other, because once someone reads one vampire series, they want another and another,” Mead said.

Page 3 of 3 - On the web: To see more of what women on the South Shore are thinking and talking about, go to www.tinyurl.com/womynzone.